Hendersonville climate

Hendersonville Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Old Hickory Dam, 3.5 km from Hendersonville, elevation 460 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Old Hickory Dam. A median date has an even chance of a later freeze in spring, or an earlier one in fall.

The last spring freeze typically comes around April 11 and the first fall freeze around October 29, a growing season of about 200 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 24, first October 21
Median at 32°F
last April 11, first October 29
Median at 28°F
last March 31, first November 6

Last freeze in spring

The chance of a later freeze than the date shown. At 10 percent, one spring in ten still freezes after the date; planting after the 10 percent date for 32°F is the cautious choice.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FMay 8May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 9
32°FApr 26Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 4Mar 31Mar 26
28°FApr 14Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 22Mar 18Mar 13
24°FApr 3Mar 30Mar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 14Mar 9Mar 4Feb 27
20°FMar 23Mar 17Mar 13Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 25Feb 18Feb 9
16°FMar 15Mar 7Mar 1Feb 26Feb 20Feb 15Feb 9Feb 3Jan 27

First freeze in fall

The chance of an earlier freeze than the date shown. At 10 percent, one fall in ten freezes before the date.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FOct 10Oct 14Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 23Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30
32°FOct 18Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Oct 31Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9
28°FOct 27Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 21
24°FNov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 2
20°FNov 11Nov 15Nov 20Nov 25Nov 29Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 18
16°FNov 20Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 15Dec 22Dec 28Jan 5

Growing season length

Days between the last spring and first fall freeze at each threshold, with the chance of a season at least that long.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°F199192187183179176173168162
32°F220213208204200196193188182
28°F243236230226221217213208201
24°F269260254250245240235230223
20°F298288281276270264257251242
16°F325316308303297290284276266

How often it gets that cold

The share of years with at least one night at or below each temperature.

36°F or colder
100% of years
32°F or colder
100% of years
28°F or colder
100% of years
24°F or colder
100% of years
20°F or colder
100% of years
16°F or colder
100% of years

Degree days

A degree day is one degree of the daily mean temperature beyond a base, for one day. Heating degree days count cold (the fuel a house burns), cooling degree days heat, growing degree days the warmth a crop needs; each crop has its own base.

Heating degree days, base 65°F
3,900
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,571
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,257
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,803
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,508
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,382
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,409

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January865012
February681124
March5103100
April23227270
May74132525
June2305753
July0417882
August0422886
September24222648
October20640314
November516375
December790019

What this means

NOAA computes these from the daily lows at the station over 1991-2020, fitting the dates of each year's last and first freeze to a distribution, so a date can be stated at any level of risk. 36°F is a frost risk for tender plants on a clear, calm night, since the ground cools below the air above it; 32°F is a freeze; 28°F is a hard freeze that kills most annuals.

The station is 3.5 km from Hendersonville. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00406803 (Old Hickory Dam). Public domain.